


Juniper Branches and Glass Jars

by This_is_not_my_Penname



Series: Advent Ficlets 2018 [5]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Advent Ficlet Challenge 2018, Christmas Wishes, F/M, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 12:05:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16872624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_is_not_my_Penname/pseuds/This_is_not_my_Penname
Summary: For the Advent Ficlet Challenge Day 5: BelieveRiza's mother teaches her about Christmas wishes; Roy introduces Riza to another type of wish.





	Juniper Branches and Glass Jars

“Mama? What’s that?” Riza pointed at the folded scrap of paper her mother had tied to the tree. She glanced up to see a smile, and then she was being scooped up and set on the couch. She looked up, waiting for the explanation.

“That, my little sugarplum, is a Christmas Wish.”

“A wish?”

“Yes. A special wish, one that will absolutely come true. You tie it to the tree, and as soon as it’s Christmas morning, you throw it into the fire and that makes sure it comes true.”

“But… that’s so easy!”

“Well, there is one catch.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. You can’t let anyone see what you wrote. It’s a very special way to make your wish come true. Do you want to make a wish too, Riza?”

“Yes, mama!”

They walked into the kitchen, and Riza’s mother found a scrap of paper and a pencil. Riza clambered into the wooden seat, resting her hands on the table in front of her. Once her mother brought the items to the table, Riza began to carefully scribble her wish on the paper. When she was done, she folded it up, letting her mother take her back to the tree. They found an empty branch, letting Riza tie a little ribbon around the little strip.

“Now we wait, okay? On Christmas morning, I’ll let you throw it into the fire and then your wish will come true!”

“Do you think father will make a wish too?” Riza couldn’t help the bounce in her step. She was so excited.

“I’m sure he will, darling. I’ll talk with him about it later tonight.”

***

“What’s that?”

Riza glanced up at her father from her seat at the dining room table. “It’s… It’s just a silly thing mother taught me.”

Her father grunted. “You’re writing. You never write.”

“It’s nothing, father. Just… a Christmas Tradition.”

Her father stepped closer, looming over her shoulder. Riza froze. She could feel his eyes scouring the page. “This is pathetic. Christmas wishes? You don’t honestly believe in this nonsense, do you?”

Riza bit her lip, trying to calm herself down. “Of… Of course not, father. It’s just a tradition and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to keep going.”

Her father snatched the paper from under her hands, crumpling it up and throwing it into the trash can. “You’re better than this, Riza. I won’t have my daughter believing in silly superstitions. Go back to your studying.”

“Y-yes, father,” Riza muttered, blinking back a few tears.

***

Roy set a heavy glass jar on the table. Riza stared at it. It was the kind of jar you stuck noodles in, or beans. A jar for storage, but this one was empty.

“Alright. Let me grab some paper.”

“Paper?”

Roy chuckled softly. “It’s… It’s a Xingese tradition. During the holiday season, you put your wishes for people for next year into the jar. When we celebrate the new year, we pull them all out and read them.”

“But if you read them, how do you know they’ll come true?”

“Well, do you have anything like this?”

Riza nodded. “My mother and I used to write our Christmas wishes down and tie them to the tree. We burned them Christmas morning, and that made sure they came true. But we weren’t allowed to look at them. Because if people read your wish, it won’t come true. Wishes are secret!”

“Well… Why not do both? We’ll write secret Christmas wishes, and have public new years ones. That sound good?”

Riza pondered for a moment. “That sounds fantastic, Roy.”

“So… I’ll go get paper.”

“Alright.” Riza watched him swagger off, a smile creeping onto her face. She knew exactly what she’d wish for.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments below!


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